The Lidder Valley at Pahalgam — river, meadows and pine forest
The Lidder Valley at Pahalgam: the 73 km river from the Kolahoi Glacier, its two streams that join at the town, the meadows, trout and the walks along it.
Jammu and Kashmir⛰ 2,200 m2 itineraries
Pahalgam
Pahalgam at about 2,200 m on the Lidder: the valley's meadows, the Mamleshwar Temple, Aru, Chandanwari and the start of the Amarnath path, with road times.
Itineraries you can copy
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One day in Pahalgam — the temple, the river and the road to Chandanwari
Day plan · First visit · nature
A one-day Pahalgam plan: the Mamleshwar Temple, a walk along the Lidder and the road up to Chandanwari, where the Amarnath path begins, with times.
Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct
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A day up the Lidder to Aru — meadows and the trek base
Day plan · nature · nature
A relaxed day trip from Pahalgam up the Lidder valley to Aru: a riverside walk, then the meadows and mountains at the base of the Kolahoi Glacier treks.
Best May–Jun · Sep
See the plan →Going together
No one has started a group going to Pahalgam yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Pahalgam, "village of the shepherds" in Kashmiri, is a town and hill station in the Lidder valley of the Anantnag district, at about 2,200 m. It is about 42 km and 47 minutes from Anantnag on our routing and about 88 km and 86 minutes from Srinagar. Two streams, the East and West Lidder, join near the town, and the valley divides there into one branch towards Amarnath and another towards Aru; the forest is fir, pine and spruce.
The town's own sights are quiet ones: the Mamleshwar Temple, a small stone shrine on the river, and the walks of the Lidder valley. Further out lies Aru, about 12 km away, a meadow village and the base for treks to the Kolahoi Glacier and the Tarsar and Marsar lakes. Up the road, about 14 km and 25 minutes away, is Chandanwari, where the Amarnath pilgrim path begins; Betaab Valley lies on the way. Wikipedia and Wikivoyage also mention the 18-hole Pahalgam Golf Course, but we found no verified location for it.
The town is the base for the Amarnath yatra each July and August. In April 2025 militants shot at a group of tourists in the Baisaran meadow above Pahalgam and killed at least 28, Wikipedia records. Our plans leave Baisaran out. Check the current local conditions and your own government's travel advice before you go. Read when to visit, how to reach Pahalgam and things to do in Pahalgam, and copy the one-day plan or the Aru day.
Photos: ThePoeticFrame (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Tipofan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Irfanaru (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Chandanwari — the road-end and start of the Amarnath pilgrim path
Chandanwari, about 16 km from Pahalgam: the base camp where the pilgrimage on foot to the Amarnath Temple begins, with its legend, snow bridge and road time.
Aru Valley — meadows and the trek base above Pahalgam
Aru, about 12 km from Pahalgam: scenic meadows, base camp for treks to the Kolahoi Glacier and Tarsar-Marsar lakes, and skiing in winter, with road times.
Mamleshwar Temple, Pahalgam — the old stone shrine on the Lidder
The Mamleshwar or Mamal Temple in Pahalgam: a small Shiva shrine by the Lidder dated to about 400 AD, with its Ganesha legend and mention in the Rajatarangini.
On the map
Open the Pahalgam map →The places a Pahalgam day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
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Things to do in Pahalgam — the river, the meadows, Aru and Chandanwari
Things to do in Pahalgam: walks on the Lidder, the Mamleshwar Temple, Aru's meadows and trek base, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari, and what we cannot verify.
How to reach Pahalgam — by road from Srinagar and Anantnag
How to reach Pahalgam from Srinagar and Anantnag by road, with measured distances and times, the nearest airport and railheads, and the safety advice to check.
Best time to visit Pahalgam — meadows, snow and the pilgrimage months
When to visit Pahalgam: mild summers from June to October, cold winters with snow up to 4 m deep, and the busy Amarnath pilgrimage weeks in July and August.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
How far is Pahalgam from Srinagar?
About 88 km and 86 minutes by road on our routing. From Srinagar airport it is about 89 km and 88 minutes; Wikipedia gives about 95 km. Anantnag is about 42 km and 47 minutes away. The nearest railheads in Wikipedia's account are Udhampur and Jammu, much farther off, so most visitors come by road from Srinagar.
What is there to do in Pahalgam?
Walk the Lidder valley and its meadows, visit the Mamleshwar Temple, and take a day to Aru, a trek base about 12 km away, or to Chandanwari, where the Amarnath pilgrim path begins, passing Betaab Valley on the way. We have no verified hours or rates for any of them; ask locally.
When is the best time to visit Pahalgam?
Wikipedia says summer runs from June to October with mild temperatures, and winters are cold with snow up to 4 m deep. July and August bring the Amarnath pilgrims, so the town is busier. We have no monthly weather figures; check the forecast and the road, and the local conditions, before you go.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.